


Angelic

by Sir_Piffinbottom



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-20 20:31:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9512864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sir_Piffinbottom/pseuds/Sir_Piffinbottom
Summary: Arduin, A common thief, is saved from his untimely execution by a mysterious Queen. He is soon thrust into a perilous quest to find a sacred amulet for the king, accompanied by his five loyal knights. However, a dark plot begins to emerge, and Arduin finds himself tangled in a web of murder and jealousy.





	1. -Prologue-

-Prologue- 

Arduin was unsure as to why he decided to travel to the kingdom of Adreamus. He questioned why, after he fled the city of Fenraln, he had decided to remain in the continent of Calithean at all. Calithean was war torn, violent, and bloody- yet something drew Arduin to the poetic brutality of it all. The hollow din of clashing steel that echoed long after the final blow was struck, the pungent odor of blood that seemed to embed itself into every crevice of the fractured landscape, the burden of thousands of lost souls threatening to bring the very mountains to their knees. No kingdom knew these sensations better than Adreamus, a land known for its chivalrous knights and ruthless military. To its adversaries the nation was seen as a brute force- a callous and unforgiving kingdom. To its inhabitants, however, it was a bright utopia. Due to the fierce nature of Adreamus' military, crime was nigh absent, and for many citizens corruption was forgotten completely.

Arduin was unsure as to why he decided to stay in the kingdom of Adreamus. He had traveled to many lands before it, yet some odd force held him behind the comforting walls of the kingdom. When he first arrived in the city, he succeeded in making enough coin preforming as a travelling bard using the lyre his father had left him. Doing so was enough to allow him a place of residence in a seedy, yet quaint tavern on the outskirts of the castle's town. During the day, Arduin would sing and play for the innkeeper; his melodic voice sweeping through every crack in the building, coiling down bustling alleyways and enticing all those who listened. He was a siren, and the city was his Odysseus.

Arduin was unsure as to why he turned to thievery. After all, he had a steady income, was well liked in his small community, and earned enough to pay for a small roof above his head, among other things. Yet he found that when he awoke in the morning, there was typically a new trinket adorning his shelves; a trophy from the previous night's exploits. It became a nightly routine for Arduin: he would wait until the only eyes on him were those of the moon hanging warily above the city, then crawl out his window before landing silently in the cobbled alleyway below. During these times, Arduin could barely remember the scenes around him as they blurred into a haze, instead finding himself suddenly sliding into the open windowsill of a random citizen's home, his journey led by pure instinct and adrenaline. The painting of the room was always the same, a darkened, nondescript space in which twisting shadows were strewn across the walls from the moonlight that filtered through the gaping window.

Slowly creeping across the floor, Arduin would search for his prize for the night. Typically, he would avoid objects of clearly large importance, instead seizing small items such as candles, books, or- if his gall permitted- a simple ring or necklace. Carefully, and with great deliberation so as to not disturb the palpable silence that hung stagnant in the air around him, he would slowly undo the clasp of a small pouch at his hip. The metal button would snap open with a sound that seemed to reverberate throughout every inch of the home, threatening to rattle the bricks in the walls out of their enclosure. From this point on it was a blur once more, with Arduin finding himself back in his room; the eyes of his bounties fixated on him as he entered, reminding him of the potential consequences of his actions.

The act of thievery sated Arduin's thirst for adventure, his desire for adrenaline, yet after time his feats began to lose their edge. He began lifting things of larger value- expensive jewelry, gilded candlesticks, anything worth a good amount of coin. The thrill again quenched his lust, however he would always leave behind a sum of coin near if not equal to the price of the item taken. Arduin would take careful deliberation in stacking each of the gold coins in the center of the room before garnishing his work with a small red feather resting atop the tower of currency. Typically Arduin would take his leave at that point, yet occasionally he would remain. Undoing his satchel Arduin would delicately lower it until its stained leather binding graced the floor with a dull thud. Taking this time to reflect on his actions, Arduin typically then sat perched in the open window, allowing himself to bask in the shadows of the night. Then, he would simply depart- leaving behind only his penance and the echo of the metallic button, ringing out and splitting the placid moonlight into fragments.

Soon, however, even that began to fail to satisfy Arduin's needs. His shelves were lined to the brim with valuables, yet his cache of rewards shone less every night. Arduin grew infuriated with his meaningless possessions, and searched vainly for a way to feel that euphoric sense of excitement once more. It was then that he took to stealing in broad daylight, trading the familiar graces of the moon for the harsh waves of sunlight that threatened to reveal his crimes to all. Between his arias sung at the tavern he would steal away to the grand market, coiling himself around the gilded pockets of nobles who frequented the shops.

Arduin was unsure as to how he found himself fleeing through the streets of Adreamus, cursing madly as he felt the guard's hounds lunging at his heels, their rancid breath urging him to make haste as he ran from what could only end up to be his untimely demise at the hands of the executioner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter in which Arudin's fate catches up to him.

Arduin knew his luck had run dry when he found his back pressed to the castle wall, a guard's blade poised under his chin. Where steel met skin a tear had begun to form, sending a thin vein of crimson slipping down to the hilt of the sword. Arduin drew a deep and ragged breath, which only caused the weapon to press deeper into his windpipe.

  
"Drop it, dog." The guard growled, his eyes darting between his blade and Arduin's clenched hand. Arduin stayed silent, narrowing his eyes and tilting his head to spit at the soldier’s feet. With a scoff of disgust, the guard removed the sword from Arduin's throat, only to plant an armored gauntlet into his stomach. Arduin doubled over- darkness tinting the edges of his vision- before he was pinned to the wall, the blade once again nestling against his neck.  
"I won't repeat myself." The pair of hounds that had cornered Arduin rose from either side of the guard, both emitting a deep rumbling sound that chilled his bones. Arduin's eyes scoured the alleyway furiously, attempting to find some means of freedom. To his avail, however, he came up short.

  
"Fine, fine." Arduin muttered, relaxing his hand to allow a small golden broach to clatter on the stone beneath his feet. His calm demeanor angered the guard, he could tell, yet his silver tongue was faster than his

mind and before he could refrain he bared a wolfish grin. With a facetious tone lacing his words, Arduin cocked his head while raising an inquisitive eyebrow and asked, "Does this dog get a treat?"  
Arduin noted how well his reflection shone in the knuckles of the guard's gauntlet before it collided with his nose, effectively rendering him unconscious. With a heavy sigh, the guard pet the dog by his side, and put Arduin's unconscious wrists into handcuffs before dragging him towards the castle.

 

 

~~~

Arduin saw light shine through a crack in the floorboards where he was hiding, and he cautiously peered through, allowing his eyes a moment to adjust to the difference in brightness. He saw the king, a towering and fierce figure, looming over his father who rest on his knees, pleading for his life. Arduin wished he could yell, to warn his pleading father of the blade swinging down, but no sound was produced from his throat. Moments after the sound of severed flesh filled the air, preceded by a sharp gasp, then… Nothing.

~~~

 

The sound of the chain’s sharp rattle awoke Arduin from his dazed stupor, his eyelids fluttering open to reveal a dark cell around him. Daylight filtered in through a small barred window, nestled in the wall several feet above Arduin’s head, creating a perfect rectangle of illumination in the center of the room. Three of the four walls around him were composed of thick slabs of stone- layered upon one another to form a steadfast wall- and a barred opening from which Arduin could peer out from. A chain connected his wrists to a small metal facet in the middle of his cell; the tethers were just long enough so that when he lunged forward to attempt to shake at the door, his fingernails could scrape against the corroded bars locking him in. Arduin cursed under his breath before retreating, defeated, to the center of his cage.

  
Time seemed to move erratically while he was confined to his prison, the sun shining in between the bars either stuck and stuttered, or simply fled and gave way to twilight. Days upon days passed this way; the only break in this monotonous regime was when Arduin heard the shrill calls of rusted hinges being opened. Echoing footfalls soon filled the room, and a solitary guard stopped in front of Arduin’s cell.

  
“You, up.” He gestured with one of his hands while the other reached for a loop of keys fastened at his waist. Arduin opened his mouth to respond, yet to his surprise all that his throat emitted was a raspy cough due to misuse. The guard merely laughed at his feeble attempt of speech. “What’s the matter, thief? Have you finally lost your tongue?”

  
Arduin glowered at the guard before swallowing heavily and attempting to speak once more. “Where are you taking me?” He managed to whisper.

  
The guard circled around Arduin, removing his shackles and replacing them with cuffs. “Where do you think? It’s time for you to face your sins at the gallows.” He patted Arduin reassuringly on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, at least you will be able to provide some entertainment for our royal court, eh?” With that the guard shoved Arduin out the door and into the narrow hall that lay beyond.  
Arduin drew a cautious breath, his eyes flitting from side to side as he passed the multitude of cells between him and the exit. His mood grew abysmal as he observed the contents of each. A murderer. A turncoat. A thief. A corpse. Every prison told a new story, yet they all lead to the same place; Arduin began to accept this and started to silently pray to any god that would listen. Before he could reach the door, however, Arduin heard soft footsteps echo from behind him.

  
The guard guiding Arduin spun on his heel, his face contorted in a fierce scowl. “This area is off limi-” he cut himself off with a sharp gasp as his complexion grew pale. He suddenly dropped into a kneeling bow, pulling Arduin down alongside him. With a shaky voice he addressed the figure who now towered above him. “M-milady, my apologies, I was unaware you were planning to visit the dungeons today. I beg for your forgiveness Queen Diana.”

  
Arduin’s head jolted upwards at this, for he had heard many stories of the queen of Adreamus, yet had never lay eyes upon either her or the king. She was as stunning as stories depicted, he swore that before him stood a goddess among men. As her gaze flicked downwards and met his, however, he felt a warmth and kindness that knew no bounds; A feeling of tranquility rushed throughout Arduin’s soul, soothing his addled mind.

  
A soft bout of mirth escaped past her lips, and she too knelt so that she could address the guard. “It is quite alright, good sir,” She began, rising to her feet and ushering for the other two to do the same. “I merely ask for a moment of privacy with our guest.” The guard fidgeted uncomfortably, shifting his weight between his feet before responding.  
“Of course, my liege, I will be outside the door when you are ready.” Arduin felt the shackles at his wrist grow slack as the guard released his hold on the chains. Backing away, his captor began to depart, the rattling of his armor being the only thing piercing the otherwise palpable silence.

  
Arduin felt the crushing quiet bear down on his shoulders as the final echoes of the guard faded into nothingness. Queen Diana turned to face him, a small smile gracing her lips.

  
“Pray tell me, how would you like to live to see the morrow’s sun?”

**Author's Note:**

> This is.. A thing? I have done?  
> Of course this is the first time I have attempted to submit a work on this site, but I have high hopes for it. This is merely a prologue, to set the scene and whatnot, but I intend to actually follow a strict plot with this!  
> Any kind of critique is more than welcome, thanks for reading!


End file.
